Out of Step
by Steph-Schell
Summary: Sequel to Out of Sync, picking up right where that one left off.  Ashley is back at the Sanctuary where she belongs.  But after two years, is there still a place for her here?  And is it one she still wants?
1. Chapter 1

John and Gregory held the doors open for her. For the first time in two years, Ashley walked into the front hall of the Sanctuary. She had to admit she felt a little like a child walking into a fairytale kingdom. Behind her she could hear her dad and grandpa entering. Now she understood the awe most people showed when they stepped through those doors. Her mother was standing at the top of the steps flanked by Will and Tesla like some fairy queen. Ashley was the princess returning to her home. "Ashley," her mother breathed.

That broke Ashley's spell. Without thinking she darted forward as she let out a laugh. "Mom," she called. Her excitement was too much and she teleported to the top of the steps. She threw her arms around her mother. "God I've missed you," she said.

For a moment John could see everything working out perfectly. Then both Will and Tesla cocked guns at his daughter's head. He watched Ashley stiffen at the twin clicks. This had not been part of the plan. "Ashley," he called. She didn't loosen her hold on her mother.

"Okay," she said with a shaky laugh. "This was not the homecoming I was expecting."

"Ashley," John called again. He refrained from using any nicknames to minimize the risk. "Perhaps it would be best if you _walk _back down here." Ashley let go of her mother and began to walk away.

As she was moving, Henry and Kate appeared on the scene. "Ashley!" Henry called.

Ashley turned at the new sounds. As a result, her feet missed the next step and her balance faltered. John's only thought was as always to help his daughter. In a burst of light he was gathered into his arms. A second burst of light and they were back by Gregory but this time Helen was also holding a gun. "John," she said warningly.

John stiffened and he felt Ashley do the same in his arms. "Gregory," he called, never moving his eyes from the guns. "It occurs that you are probably the only one they will not shoot at so if you would, please." He gestured to the group.

"Of course," Gregory nodded. "Quite right."

John looked down at his daughter. "Are you alright?" he whispered.

"Fine," she hissed. She clutched him a little tighter. "It's all going to hell," she moaned.

"Don't you worry, little angel. Your grandfather will fix this," he promised.

Gregory glanced once more at his granddaughter before turning to the group before them. "Helen Victoria Magnus, you put that gun down this instant," he scolded firmly.

"Father?" Magnus called. She was so confused by all that had gone on. Nothing was making sense at the moment.

"And since when did Gregory Magnus align himself with John Druitt?" Tesla asked, shifting his gun to Gregory.

"Nikola Tesla," Gregory said with disdain. "You were an idiot back at Oxford too. Clearly some things never change."

Ashley let out a snort of laughter into her father's shoulder. John pressed a kiss to her hair. Nikola's glare switched to the father and daughter. John matched him look for look. "How do we know you are who you say you are?" Nikola pointed out.

"Tesla has a point," Will said. "You've both been against us before."

"Yes, when I was under the Cabal's control," Gregory snapped. The guns never wavered and he could hear a whimper from Ashley. He let out a sigh. "So you want proof do you?" Gregory looked at Nikola. "You, young man, asked three times for my blessing to marry Helen and I turned you down each time. The last time was the day after John proposed. When I informed you of that, you were so angry that you picked up a Pygmy skull from my desk and smashed it to pieces. I ordered you to leave and not return until you had your temper under better control." Tesla's gun dropped.

"Tesla would do that," Ashley whispered.

"That he would," John agreed.

Gregory turned to his daughter. "When you were eight your mother died and you were inconsolable for a month. When you were ten, you asked to see my lab for the first time. I said no. Two weeks later the maids caught you trying to sneak in. I made sure you couldn't sit for three days after that." Ashley snickered at the image. "At 13, you were caught kissing that Masterson boy from down the street. You said you wanted to know what it felt like. At 17, the first boy came to court you. You refused him after he visited twice. You said he was silly and immature." He looked hard at Helen. "Would you like me to continue? Because I'll warn you, it gets far more embarrassing for you."

Helen also dropped her gun and motioned for the others to do the same. "That's quite alright," she said softly. "I believe you."

"I should bloody well hope so," Gregory frowned. His tone had become scolding again. "Such a reception I've never had and that's the truth. Honestly Helen, I raised you with better manners. Pulling a gun on your own flesh and blood? A daughter who's only thought, I might add, was to see her mother again? I am ashamed of you, Helen Victoria Magnus, utterly ashamed. Why, I can hardly bear to look at you for thought of it. Scaring your only daughter in such a manner. Absolutely unconscionable. Now this child wants to speak you. I suggest you listen to what she has to say."

John whispered his confidence to Ashley and gently pushed her forward. She hesitated, looking back and forth from John to Gregory. John gave a slow nod and Gregory held out a hand. Ashley and took his hand tentatively. He led her out front where she faced the gazes of all she loved. Ashley felt a stab of fear at the undivided attention. Her grandfather squeezed her hand before stepping back. "Ashley," her mother called. "Is that really you?"

Ashley gave her a weak smile and spread her arms. "It's me, mom," she agreed. "I'm back."

"How?" Helen asked.

"It's such a long story," she sighed, running a hand through her hair. John coughed behind her. Ashley whipped around to meet his level gaze. She looked confused before he nodded. Ashley nodded back and turned to those on the steps. "We need to show you, actually. It's easier that way. Also there's more to your birthday present."

"Birthday present?" Magnus repeated.

"It's not every day you turn 160," John pointed out. "Ashley wanted to get you something special."

"In what way?" Nikola drawled.

"You'll have to come with us and see," Gregory countered.

All gazes turned to Magnus. "Your call," Will said.

Helen continued to look at her daughter. She had only seen those blue grey eyes so troubled once before. When Ashley had teleported to save the Sanctuary. Her eyes were so open and vulnerable. They held pain, fear, worry and such hope it took Helen's breath away. Helen held out her hand. "Show me," she commanded.

Father and daughter shared a look before Ashley appeared before her mother. She took the offered hand with a smile and teleported out. Between John and Ashley everyone was back in Italy before a single protest could be voiced.

John was bringing Kate over when Tesla was knocked down. "Will someone get the mutt off me?" he called.

John couldn't stop the smile as he saw James standing over the vampire and growling. "James," he called sharply. "Down, now!" The dog didn't move. "James!" he warned. "Here!"

The dog trotted back to his master where he sat and continued to growl at Nikola. The vampire shifted into a sitting position, glaring at John. "I should have known it was your dog," he growled.

"He's not mine," John said. Ashley came from the side of the house and James bounded to his mistress. "He belongs to her."

Ashley knelt down and began to cuddle James. "Hey there, boy," she cooed. "Aren't you such a good dog? Yes you are."

"He took down Nikola," John told her.

Ashley frowned at the vampire. "Aw, did the big bad vampire threaten you?" she asked James.

"Me?" Tesla demanded. "I did nothing."

Ashley got to her feet. "James is trained not to attack unless provoked," she stated. "You must have done something."

Gregory raised his hands. "Come now, let's not fight," he said. "We've things to do here."

"Yes sir," Ashley saluted. She took off her leather jacket, which was too hot for the warm Italian day, and handed it to her father. John took both jackets inside.

"Where are we?" Will asked.

"Do you remember that villa I told you about where I take long weekends every seven years?" Magnus asked. Will nodded. "You're standing next to it."

"This is your villa at Capri?" Henry demanded.

"It is," Helen nodded. She turned to her father and daughter. "I assume there's an explanation as to why we stopped here."

"We're here to pick up Ashley's dog," Gregory told her. "The rest of your questions will be answered when we get to our next destination."

"I didn't want James left out," Ashley said by way of explanation.

"Why is he named James?" Kate asked.

"After my sort of uncle, James Watson."

Kate nodded. "You're her daughter right?" she asked, pointing to Magnus. Ashley nodded. "And the bald guy is your dad." Ashley nodded again. "So who's this guy?"

"Meet my grandfather, Gregory Magnus."

Kate looked to him. "Kate Freelander, nice to meet you."

"A pleasure," Gregory nodded.

Kate turned back to Ashley. "No one in your family ever dies, do they?"

"No, not that I've seen," Ashley said. "I'm pretty sure my grandmother is wandering around out there somewhere." The girls shared a laugh.

John came back to where they were waiting. "Are we ready now?"

"I'm good if you are," Ashley agreed.

"Then let us continue on."


	2. Chapter 2

Together they teleported everyone to a side street where they wouldn't be noticed by anyone passing by. Ashley and John then led them to a construction site. John looked between the two groups. "Ashley, why don't you and I go get things ready for your mother's present while your grandfather fills everyone in?"

"Yeah, sure dad," Ashley agreed. She gave them all a nervous smile before gripping her father's hand tightly. "Come on James," she called to the dog. He yipped twice and followed. Ashley didn't loosen her grip until they turned a corner. "Do you think it's going okay?" she asked.

"It's going _fine,_" her father soothed. "Your mother was a bit surprised that's all. She's fine now. And you seem to get along well with that new girl."

A slow smile formed on her face. "I do, don't I," she agreed.

"There you are," John smiled. "See? Everything will be just fine. No need to worry."

"If it's not, I'm taking out my frustration on you," she informed him with a smile.

Gregory watched them go until they were out of earshot, and then turned to his daughter's group. "What is it you have to tell us father?"

"Three things, actually. Do you recognize this place, Helen?"

Helen stared around for several minutes before the answer finally came to her. "It's the Italian Sanctuary."

"It is. It was the final test run for Ashley and her clones before attacking her home. They completely destroyed it before a signal could be sent out. There will be more on that later. The second thing is John and Ashley can't teleport around here because of the energy cloud. They were hoping your team could do something about that. Finally, don't be surprised if you hear people referring to Ashley as Maggie. She had to change her name a while back."

"Why?" Henry asked.

"Ashley was out getting some food for herself using her real name. Some Abnormals that had been displaced in the Sanctuary attacks overheard her. They were angry at what happened and wanted revenge on anyone they could get. They attacked and nearly killed her."

"She looks fine now," Will pointed out.

"John stepped in to save her," Gregory explained. "But it was decided that she could no longer be called Ashley Magnus outside of the house. She began to call herself Maggie Druitt."

"Maggie?" Kate asked.

"Short for Magnus," Gregory said. He looked up at the sound of footsteps. "Here he is," Gregory smiled.

"Helen Magnus, meet Horace Fabrizziti," John introduced. "He's the foreman at this construction site."

Helen shook his hand. "Good to meet you," she smiled.

"It's an honor," Horace replied. "I know this all looks jumbled but I promise you there is an order to it."

"Happy Birthday," Ashley grinned. "This is the second part of the present. Grandpa is funding this entire project to rebuild the Sanctuary."

"Truly?" Helen breathed.

"Truly," Horace agreed. "There was over half of the original building left but we had to guy most of it in order to build back up. We haven't been able to work on the lower observation levels or the SHU because of a wiring issue."

"Hopefully that will be rectified before the day is out," John said. "I'm sure Dr. Magnus will be pleased to look over your plans and such but we have a few things that must be ironed out. We'll meet up with you after we're done, alright?"

"Of course," Horace nodded. "The men have cleared out from that back corner."

"Thank you," John smiled. He turned to the group. "This way please." Ashley fell in between him and her grandfather. John looked down to see that her hands were balled into fists and she looked slightly sick. With a small smile he reached over to brush his hand against hers. Ashley looked at him with painful hope in her eyes. John winked at her. She felt a bit better after that.

They reached the elevator and ushered everyone inside. Ashley scratched James behind the ears and took deep breaths to calm herself. Her father and grandfather said things would be fine. They just had to be right. She heard the gasps as they opened the door to reveal the awful conditions. "Ashley is this where you've been living?" Magnus asked.

"Not quite," Ashley told her. "This is where dad _was _living for about a year and a half. I only had to deal with two weeks until Grandpa showed up."

"Not about to let my granddaughter live in such squalor," Gregory said. Ashley smiled at him. "Show them the rest of it," he instructed.

Ashley and John went to the machine and pulled off the tarp. Next to be revealed was the control panel. "This is the machine that brought me back," she stated.

"That is my machine," Tesla gasped.

"Oh, good. You can tell us what it is," Will said.

"It uses electricity to flood the system and propel you through different dimensions. I drew up the plans for a machine like this one years ago." Tesla glared at John. "You stole my notes," he growled. "It was you who invaded my lab at that Sanctuary and you stole equipment from my work space in Russia."

"Guilty," John agreed. "On all counts. But in my defense each act was to save my daughter."

"And let's bring the testosterone level _back _down," Ashley requested. She noticed Tesla moving towards the machine. "Dude, I seriously wouldn't—" Ashley was interrupted by Tesla touching the machine and being electrocuted. "Do that," she finished. Sighing, she turned to her father. "And he's supposed to be a genius?"

"Well, I've never called him one," John said mildly. "Gregory?"

"Not I," he added. "Give him a moment. He'll wake up, I'm sure."

He was right and Nikola was soon struggling to his feet. "What was that?" he demanded.

"That was you not listening," Ashley snapped. "We made it work but you forgot the instructions on how to turn it off."

Nikola glowered at her and turned to the controls. "Give me a moment," he snapped. It wasn't long before the machine powered down.

"Now they can do their work down here," Gregory said. "I'll tell Horace when we're done."

"That can wait," John decided. "I think it's time for Ashley to tell her story." He settled himself on the bed. "James," he called. The dog jumped up next to him. Gregory sat at the desk. "Whenever you're ready," John said with a nod to his daughter.

Ashley reached up to her locket. She gripped it tightly for a moment before taking a breath. "It all started two years ago," she began. "After my…death." Ashley swallowed hard. Just thinking about all that made her nervous. "I didn't die when I teleported. I was thrown out of sync with this world. I was alive but I couldn't communicate."

"Why didn't you try to contact me?" Magnus asked.

Ashley gave her a sad smile. "I did," she said. "I tried to talk to everyone. You, Will, Henry, even Tesla. I talked, I screamed, I raged. I did everything short of throwing books but none of you paid any attention. Dad was the only one that could see or hear me and I found that out by accident."

"Accident?" Will repeated.

"I was up on the roof of the Sanctuary, south corner, feeling pretty ticked. Dad was up there thinking, I guess and I started ranting. I didn't think he would hear me. No one else had. Instead he turned around and began speaking." She gave her father a warm smile. "It wasn't the _best _beginning."

Everyone turned to John who shrugged. "I thought she was a ghost," he explained.

"You thought your own daughter was a ghost?" Kate asked.

"Be fair," John countered. "All evidence at that time pointed to the fact that she had died three weeks earlier. For all I knew, I was hallucinating."

"He actually said that to me," Ashley agreed. "He thought he was going mad and I was something his mind dreamed up."

"What convinced you?" Henry asked.

"Ashley," John gestured. "We had quite the talk on that rooftop."

"That's one way of putting it," she smiled. "Anyway, our next step was to figure out what was wrong with me. That next day we went through the library and found some theories by Da Vinci. That led us to Uncle James' journals."

"Those were looked in my office," Helen recalled. She turned to John. "How did you manage to steal them?"

"I didn't," he replied. "It was all Ashley's plan."

Ashley gave a mock bow at the praise. "I told him to be a distraction to you while I searched the office. Then I tried to teleport out. Not the best idea."

"This has something to do with the night you spent in Ashley's room," Helen said quietly.

"I was watching over her," John told them. "Teleporting caused Ashley great pain. So much so that she passed out. She didn't awaken until the early hours of the morning."

"And couldn't talk well because my throat was sore from screaming," Ashley nodded. "But moving on. We began going through the journals. Let me tell you, Uncle James knew how to keep a secret. Finally, we found plans for the machine you see before you. The problem was the plans weren't completed. We needed to find the rest of the plans and a place where we could work in secret."

"I take it this has something to do with the power surge in the Sanctuary," Helen stated.

Ashley looked sheepish. "My fault," she admitted. "I set up the power surge so Dad and I could sneak out. I'm also the one that hacked your bank account and freaked Henry out."

"Where did you learn to hack bank accounts?" Will asked.

"Long story, not important," Ashley declared. "So we got here and I showed Dad the place. Don't ask me why the wiring still works, I don't know. We found out that Tesla's half of the design was in Russia. So dad teleported to Russia and stole those plans."

"That was when you broke into Tesla's lab," Will connected. "So when you were talking to yourself, you were actually speaking to Ashley."

"I insisted on going along," Ashley shrugged. "Dad wasn't happy about it but I'm persistent."

"We've noticed," Tesla said.

Ashley shot him a glare. "Dad started building the machine. I found James not too long after that. I tried to help with the building but it wasn't pretty."

Helen looked at John. "How did you survive here?" she asked. "You have neither bank account nor credit cards. There were no funds to pull from."

It was Ashley who answered. "Convenience store heists and Chinese takeout."

"My taste buds will never be the same," John drawled.

"Laying low means eating cheap," Ashley told him. John rolled his eyes with a smile. And she continued. "It took a year and six months to finally get it built. We were both a little leery about using it but it was my best chance."

"It must have worked," Will said. "You're standing here.'

"Yeah, it worked fine."

"So you were safe and sound, why not go home?" Kate asked.

Ashley shot a worried glance at her father who gave an encouraging nod. "Because I wasn't sound. I had these new powers and I didn't know what to do with them. Dad came up with a drug treatment to reverse what the Cabal did to me but I could still teleport. I told Dad I wanted to stay with him until I had a better grasp on everything."

"So when did your grandfather enter the picture?" Henry asked.

"Yes, I'm quite curious about that as well," Helen agreed.

"I called granddad a few weeks after I came back in sync," Ashley explained. "I had found something in Uncle James' journals that I needed his help with."

"What was that?" her mother asked.

"There's these…injections he thought up," Ashley said. "They keep me and dad from…from…"

"They keep us from becoming out of control and killing anyone in our path. Or really anyone at all without conscious will," John interjected.

Ashley gave a nod and gestured to him. "Like he said. Anyway, I called grandpa and he came to get us. We set up shop in the villa since we knew no one would be using it. And now we're all here."

"Indeed we are," Gregory sighed. "If that's the end of the question and answer period, I'd suggest we move back upstairs. The air down here is too musty for anyone's lungs." Ashley grabbed her father's arm as they headed upstairs. John shook his head but didn't pry her off.

Back out in the sunshine they split into groups once again. Will, Henry and Kate moved off to talk amongst themselves, Nikola had retrieved a few of the journals and was going through them, Gregory took Helen to discuss things with the foreman and John and Ashley found themselves alone in the middle of the work.

Gregory leaned heavily on his cane while walking his daughter to where Horace was waiting. "Helen, I hope you realize what a delicate situation you have here. Ashley is in a very fragile state at this moment."

"I understand that, Father." Helen ran a hand through her hair. "Or I will once I finally come to grips with the fact that my dead daughter is not, in fact, dead," she added ruefully.

"It's a lot to adjust to Elly, I know. But you are her mother and Ashley does love you very much."

"I love her too, father. And I am very glad she's back."

"Good. Which is why I think you should keep John around for a bit."

"How's that?"

"Ashley has grown very dependent on John these last two years. I don't' think it would be wise for them to be split up just yet. Obviously you and John will need to work out the details together but it would be beneficial for all involved if he were allowed to stay on at the Sanctuary."

"I'll speak with him, father," Helen promised.

Gregory smiled at her and they continued on their walk. Once they found Horace, Gregory relayed his message and then left his daughter to find out all about how they were reconstructing her Sanctuary.

While Gregory and Helen were talking, the other father daughter pair was having a discussion of their own. "Ashley, you are not five," John hissed. "You cannot hang onto my arm like a life raft."

"But Dad—"

"No 'but's, young lady. They are your friends, are they not? Go talk to them."

"I haven't seen them in two years dad. What if they're…different?"

"You're different in case you hadn't noticed."

"I've noticed, believe me."

John gave a deep sigh. "Ashley, you will go over there and talk to them. You'll never know what's changed if you don't try." Having said his piece he shoved his daughter forward before she could protest.

Ashley stumbled and glared at the ground. She got her footing but before she could turn to snap at her father someone was in front of her. "Hello," she said, blinking at the sudden appearance.

"Hey," Kate smiled.

"That was totally not planned," Ashley informed her with an awkward gesture. "The tripping, I mean."

"Yeah, I got that. Uh, can we talk?"

"Sure."

"Look, I don't want you to think I was trying to elbow in on your territory or anything, okay?"

Ashley was confused and she was sure it showed on her face. "Territory?"

"With your mom or, you know, with the guys."

"Oh please, those guys need someone to kick their ass," Ashley stated. "It's cool. Really."

"Really?"

"Really." Ashley shot Kate a relieved smile. "It's good to know I'm not the only one who's freaking out."

"Not even close," Kate assured her.

John watched the exchanged as Gregory made his way over. "I wonder if this is how parents feel on the first day of school," John commented idly.

"I would doubt it. Somehow I can't picture my granddaughter clinging to Helen like a piece of wet kelp."

"Fair enough. She seems to get along well with Kate."

"Let's hope that continues. Ashley's going to need all the friends she can get in the next few months."

"Months? Try years."

"Point taken."

Both men turned at the sound of clicking heels. Helen was making her way back to the group. "This is incredible," she stated. "And I need to get back home so that I can try to digest all of it."

"We need to stop back at the villa," Gregory told her. "But after that, I'm sure John and Ashley have no problem taking everyone home."

"Ashley!" John called. The blonde turned to him with a question in her eyes. "Villa."

That one word was all Ashley needed to see that everyone was back at her mother's vacation home before they could blink. "You might as well come in," Gregory told them. "John and Ashley need to get their luggage."

They stepped into the grand hallway to see that the butler and maid were there with the bags. "Everything is packed, Dr. Magnus," the butler said.

"Did you get the stuff for James too?" Ashley asked.

Emily smiled. "Of course, Miss Ashley. It's all there."

"Is there anything else you'll be needing, Mr. Druitt? Dr. Magnus?"

"We're fine, thank you," John said with a dismissive nod.

The butler left but Emily paused to hug Ashley. "I'm so very happy for you Miss," she whispered.

"Thanks," Ashley grinned. Emily gave them a bashful duck of her head before scurrying off. Ashley frowned as she looked at the luggage. "Grandpa, there's only mine and Dad's stuff here. Aren't you coming?"

"Not this time, sweetheart. I'm staying here to look after the villa and the Sanctuary." Gregory smiled softly at her heartbroken look. "None of that now. I'll visit, I promise. But you don't need me there gumming up the works. I've done all I can for you right now. The rest is up to you."

Ashley hugged him tight. "You really will visit, won't you?"

"I promised, didn't I? I am a man of my word, young lady."

"I love you, grandpa. And I'm going to miss you."

"Miss me? Love, you can call me anytime you want. Or email and such. I do know how to work a computer. Now, no tears. Promise me."

"No tears," Ashley nodded as she stepped back.

Gregory turned to John. Both men drew themselves up to their full height. "I'm counting on you, John. And I will be watching."

"Understood, sir."

"Daddy," Ashley called. John turned to her and she was grinning. "Let's go home."

They teleported everyone to the front hall of the Sanctuary. Ashley knelt next to her dog. "Look at this, James. This is our new home. What do you think?" James yapped and waved his tail. Ashley laughed as she rubbed his head. "Come on, Dad," she said, tugging his arm. "We've got to put our stuff away and it's long past time for meds."

John gently untangled himself from his daughter. "Ashley, I need to talk to your mother right now." He saw a slight twinge of fear in her eyes and kissed her forehead. "Go upstairs, put your things away and drop my things off next to my door. Then get everything ready in the infirmary. I'll be up as soon as I'm done, sweet girl. I promise."

"Love you, Dad," she whispered as she hugged him. Then she was gone with a laugh.

John turned to the group. "Helen," he said, extending his hand.

"My office," she told him, place her own hand in his.

Will let out a low whistle once everyone but he and Henry were gone. "That was weird," he said.

"The weirdness hasn't even begun," Henry predicted.


	3. Chapter 3

The day after she got back home, her father informed her that she was going to start therapy. Her parents had spent most of the day before talking and Ashley's continued nightmares had been a very long point of discussion. The two had agreed that Ashley needed to talk to someone. And since there was psychologist living right there in the Sanctuary, why not send Ashley to him.

Ashley wasn't pleased with the idea but knew there was no getting out of it. So she knocked quietly on Will's door the next day and received the command to enter. She swished in with more confidence than she really felt. "Have a seat," Will gestured.

Ashley stretched out as much as possible on one of the chairs. "Is this where you tell me all the horrible things that are wrong with me?" she asked idly.

"Actually, this is where you tell me," he corrected.

Ashley shifted so she was sitting a little straighter. "Tell you…what?"

Will shrugged. "Anything you want. This is your therapy, Ashley."

"I got that, thanks."

"What I meant was, you're in control here. We'll talk about whatever you want to talk about."

Ashley raised an eyebrow. "So you're not going to make me tell you all about my childhood or any of that B.S.?"

"I'm not going to _make _you do anything. And let's be honest, your childhood probably has little to do with this. But my job is simply to be a sounding board. I may guide you with questions but you make all the decisions here. Including what you do and do not want to talk about."

"So if I wanted to talk about…" Ashley wracked her brain for a topic he'd hate. "…How many ways you can kill a man with your thumb, you'd go along with that?"

"It's your therapy," Will repeated.

"Interesting," Ashley leaned back in her chair. "But not all that important." Will gave her a curious look. "I was stuck in what amounted to solitary confinement with my dad for a year and a half. When there's no one else to talk to, you tend to spill your guts without meaning to. I don't need therapy, I've already had it."

"You don't think you might need to talk about that?"

"What? Seeing only my dad? Why would I need to talk about that?"

"You tell me," Will shrugged.

Ashley rolled her eyes. "If that's all the help you're going to be, I don't see why we would talk about anything."

"I can't make you talk," Will agreed. "But two hours is a long time to sit in silence."

Ashley's eyes narrowed. "Two hours? Your normal sessions are only an hour long."

"Your case is far from normal, even in the Sanctuary. And it's your mother's mandate, not mine."

"I could just teleport out."

"You could. But the cameras are rolling. I don't think either of your parents will be happy if you ditch your sessions."

Ashley shifted uncomfortably. "I get the feeling dad isn't going along with this for quite the same reasons as mom."

"Could be," Will nodded. "But what makes you think that?"

Ashley opened her mouth then snapped it shut. She gave him a sly smile. "You're good. Real good. In fact, you nearly had me there. But I'm not going to talk about that."

"Then what will we talk about?"

"You could at least give me a starting point or pick a topic or something."

"I'm easy," Will shrugged.

"So not the image I needed," she said with amusement.

"Then pick an image you do need. Or at least need to talk about."

"I don't _need _to talk about any of it. And you can't make me."

Will cocked an eyebrow. "Are you really going to make your point with _that_ line? Because really, you sound like you're seven."

"Look, the Cabal sucked. I know it, you know it, the whole damn Network knows it. But I'm not there anymore. I'm home and that's all that matters. I don't want to talk or, if at all possible, even think about it ever again."

"I didn't think we were going to talk about the Cabal. That's a pretty heavy subject after all."

Ashley tilted her head as she looked at him. "I thought that was the whole reason I was in therapy to start with."

"It is," Will nodded. "But we're going to work our way up to that. I have a feeling there's more to this problem than just the Cabal. And if we try to tackle the big issues first we could end up only making them worse."

"Interesting theory, doctor."

"Now you're just deflecting."

Ashley rolled her eyes. "Are we anywhere near my time limit?"

"Not as close as you'd like."

The rest of the two hours was spent like that. Will patiently trying to get Ashley to open up and Ashley stubbornly stonewalling him at every turn. Will had a feeling that she was mostly doing it to protect her father. She seemed to think that if she said anything wrong, Druitt would be thrown into the nearest cell in the SHU. Will was going to have to do something about that. Ashley wouldn't open up if she felt threatened in anyway.

Ashley was surprised to find Will at her door the next day five minutes before their appointment. "Get your coat," he told her. "We're going outside."

Ashley was confused but did as he asked. "So why are we out here?" she asked as they strolled outside with James at their heels.

"I like to fit the therapy to the client," Will explained. "You seemed really uptight last time and I thought maybe being outside would be better than being in my office.

Ashley pulled an old tennis ball out of her jacket and threw it for James to chase. "So what were we going to talk about?"

"Like I said yesterday, we need to ease into this. We'll take the easy road before we tackle the hard questions. Helps to build rapport that way." Will took the ball from James and threw it again.

"We don't have rapport?"

"Not the kind I'm going to need for this."

"What do you mean?"

"Ashley, if you're ever going to tell me about things like the Cabal, you're going to need to trust me unconditionally. And we're not there yet. That's okay because we're just starting. But we need to build that trust before we can go into those things."

"But I thought that was what you were supposed to ask me about."

"There is no defined list of stuff that we need to cover. We can just…you know, talk."

"About anything?" Ashley pressed. Will nodded. She threw the ball with a thoughtful look on her face. "That's a pretty large topic."

"Then let's narrow it down a little. How about you tell me about what those six months with your grandfather were like? Those must be some good memories."

Ashley grinned. "They're some of my best. I remember the day when we went to meet the contractor; grandpa promised me had a wonderful surprise waiting for me back at the villa. It turned out to be a horse."

Will nodded as the memory of the house came back to him. "I remember a stable near the main house. I didn't know you knew how to ride."

"I didn't," Ashley admitted with a chuckle. "Dapple was the first horse I had ever even seen up close." She swallowed before continuing on. "Dad was the one that taught me. We used to ride every day."

"Did you ride far?"

"As far as we could. James would run beside us while we rode." She paused and looked to the distance. James nudged her with the ball but she didn't notice. Will threw it instead.

"Ashley, you can talk about anything with me. No one else needs to know. I had your mom clear the grounds just so we could talk."

"I talked to my dad before we set up my return. I told him I could have been happy at Capri. I would have been okay there with him and grandpa."

"What did he say?"

Ashley took the ball from James and heaved it. "He said…he said Capri would be easy. No one wanted anything from me there. He said that I would have gotten bored really quickly." She smiled at Will. "He was probably right."

"You think so?"

"Yeah. I mean, I liked not having responsibilities but there's something to be said for life at the Sanctuary. Even with all its dangers. This place is home." She laughed quietly.

"What?"

"It's just that after that talk, dad would always ask what I would do when mom came for her long weekend and found the three of us living there?"

Will chuckled. "That is a good question."

"I never did figure out a good answer."

"Then I guess it's a good thing you guys came back. Now you don't need to think about an answer."

"I imagine my mother would have had an aneurism and pulled a gun on us."

"I don't think she would have shot you."

"No but there's no promises she wouldn't have attacked dad before the story came out. Several times."

"Probably." Will noticed her playing with a chain on her throat. "What's that?" he gestured.

"It's a…it's a locket my grandpa gave me."

"Looks pretty. What's inside?"

"Old fashioned pictures of my mom and dad. Grandpa wanted me to remember that no matter how much they fight, I had two parents that loved me more than anything else in the world. Even each other."

"Your grandfather thinks your parents still love each other?"

"I asked him that. He told me he's sure they're in love because if it hate was the problem one or both of them would be dead by now. So they have to be in love."

"What do you think?"

"I think a century is a long time to be in love with the idea of someone."

"Which parent are you talking about?"

Ashley paused. "Both of them." Then she smiled softly at him. "Is this where you ask me how I feel about that?"

"We don't use that phrase as often as people like to think."

"Really?"

"Really. Now stop getting off topic."

Ashley snapped her fingers. "You caught me."

"I'm good at that."

"I guess that's why mom keeps you around."

"So they tell me. And you're still off topic."

"Is there anything that distracts you?"

"I'd answer that but it would be overstepping the bounds of a professional relationship."

Ashley laughed. "Maybe this therapy thing isn't so bad at all."

"Just wait until we start to really tackle the hard questions. Then we'll see if you like it as much as you do now."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **A few quick notes here. First, this is unbeta'd because my former beta seems to have dropped off the face of hte earth. Which is an annoyingly common problem for me. Anyway, if you want to beta shoot me a line. Second, **WARNING**: This chapter will contain references to PTSD and some possibly trigger-y material. If that squicks you, wait until the next update. Third, I probably should have mentioned in teh beginning that this will not be a happy story. Things have started goign down hill and they are only going to get worse.

* * *

><p>Ashley didn't realize quite how different things would be when she got home. Oh, she knew she would have to readjust to certain things but sinking into a schedule just seemed harder than she thought. When it was just Ashley and her father—and later her grandfather—things were much more flexible. The only regulated thing about it was the drug treatments once she came back in sync. And walking James of course. Now her entire day was rigorously scheduled and maintained.<p>

She woke up every day at 5:30. Far earlier than she ever had before. After waking, she showered, changed did her grooming and was ready for James' first walk of the day at six. At seven she met her father in the gym for training, both teleporting and fighting. Learning to fight with her new powers required an almost totally different style than she was used to. They stopped at 7:45 and made their way to the infirmary for her first round of drug treatments. Breakfast was still at eight like always.

After breakfast it was more two hour therapy sessions with Will. But once the sessions were done she had a little bit of free time. The others were usually out on missions during that time. Helen preferred to keep Ashley close and so she hadn't assigned her daughter anything just yet. At 12:45 it was time for her second round of drug treatments with her father. One clock meant lunch. At two it was time for James's second walk. At three she practiced more hand to hand with Kate. The other girl was the only one Ashley felt she could really talk to at the Sanctuary.

Four o'clock signaled weapons practice, usually under her father's watchful eye. He never interfered but he was always there. Ashley liked that. His presence was comforting to her. Things seemed clearer when he was around. She trained until 5:45 when it was time for the third set of drug treatments. Then father and daughter walked down to the dining hall for dinner. At seven she was allowed to patrol so long as she had a tracking device on her. Ashley wasn't completely sure whose protection it was for. At nine it was time for James to take his final walk. At ten she wrote in her journal. It was one of the few things she had mandated rather than her mother. 10:45 meant the last set of drug treatments for the day. Eleven was when she showered and her head hit the pillow at 11:30.

It was a regulated existence. Some days it felt like a prison sentence. Other days it was the only thing keeping her from an outbreak of temper. And as her father often reminded her, temper was dangerous for them. It scared her sometimes; the things she could do, had done.

Talking to her mother was hard. They had never been good at it before and now it seemed almost impossible at times. Talking to Will got easier the more she did it. If he had any judgments about her, he kept them out of his face and voice. It made her feel a little safer. Talking to Henry was approaching normal but they still struggled in places. Still, it was her dad that understood her best and the times when they talked were when Ashley felt most like herself.

Ashley knew her scheduled existence wasn't totally a bad thing and she would slip into soon. It was just taking longer because she was so out of practice. The routine got easier the more she did it. She was certain she would soon be back to normal with everyone again. At least until yesterday when she decided to talk to the gym rather than teleport. Walking meant she had to pass the library where Tesla was currently holed up on some project. Not usually a bad thing.

As she strode down the hall, she heard music coming from the library. She stopped for a moment to listen. The familiar chords began to wash over her and she felt the fear creeping up her spine. Ghost voices echoed in her ears while ghost needles pricked at her skin. "No," she whispered. "Dear god, no. Turn it off." The music swelled instead. It's crescendo blended with her screams.

Tesla bolted out of the library at the sound of scramming. Ashley was on her knees, hands over her ears. Before he could even attempt some kind of comfort, Helen and Will came running down the stairs. "What's wrong?" Helen asked.

"I don't know. I came out and she was screaming."

"We being attacked?" Henry called as he came down the hall.

"No, Ashley is just upset," Will said.

"Freaking out is a better way to put it," Tesla growled.

Helen glared at him before moving to try to calm her daughter. "Ashley, it's alright," she said. "It's your mother Ashley, just calm down." She tried to reach out but Ashley flinched away.

"What in the hall is wrong with her?" Tesla demanded.

"You could try asking her," a new voice stated. Mid stride John teleported in front of his daughter. He tried to pull her hands down but she struggled with him. "Don't scream," he whispered. "I can't understand you when you scream."

Ashley screams began to lower to whimpers. "I don't want to be here."

"You're in the Sanctuary, little angel. What's wrong?"

"No, I'm not," she whined.

"Of course you are. You're safe with your mother and friends."

"That bitch isn't my mother!" she screamed. She turned a tearful face to her father though he could tell she wasn't really seeing him. "Oh, please make it stop," she begged. "I'll do what I'm told."

John remembered those words from her nightmares of the Cabal. "How do you know you're in the Cabal?" he asked.

"That song," she sobbed. "Turn it off! Just turn it off!"

"Just hush," he told her calmly. "I'll be right back." He disappeared for a moment and the music stopped. John teleported back in front of Ashley. "There we are," he said, his voice deliberately light. He gently pulled her hand from her ears. "No more music, see?"

Ashley's sobs died down as recognition seeped back in. She was in fact, back in the Sanctuary. Surrounded by her friends and family and apparently having one hell of a breakdown. "Please tell me I didn't do what I think I just did."

"That," John told her as he pulled out his handkerchief, "really depends on what you think you did." Ashley took the offered cloth and began to wipe her eyes. "Now, my version of events is you heard the music playing, had some sort of flashback to your trauma and became quite upset." He smiled fondly at her. "What's yours?"

"Oh, the usual," Ashley shrugged. "I had an almighty break down in front of god and everybody."

"Given what you went through I'd say it was quite justified." Ashley blew her nose and handed him back his handkerchief. The cloth disappeared back into his pocket.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she sighed. "I feel like such an idiot." John held out his hands to her and Ashley allowed him to help her to her feet. "Tower please," she requested. In a blink they were gone.

"Well that was different," Henry sighed.

"Very," Helen agreed. "I believe we should remain here for the moment. Something tells me Ashley will be back soon."

She was right. A very nervous and uncomfortable Ashley teleported back in less than ten minutes later. Ashley shifted her weight several times without speaking then turned to her dad with a bayful look. "Ashley, there are two ways of doing this and both of them end with you talking," he stated. "The only difference is whether or not we have a very public argument." Ashley's look changed to a glare. John stood calm as ever. "Talk," he repeated.

Ashley turned back to them with a deep breath. "Every Friday," she began, "I would be taken from my cell and experimented on. I was usually knocked out but a part of me could still tell what was going on." She balled her hands into fists to keep control of her emotions. "The main scientist was a big Beethoven fan." Ashley gritted her teeth against a new flood of memories. She was too strong to let this break her. Her dad told her so. "Especially Fur Elise and Moonlight Sonata. They were always playing."

Ash Ashley struggled for control, everything clicked into place for the rest of the Sanctuary team. "PTSD," Will said. "You heard the music Tesla was playing and it jolted you back to your time in the Cabal." Ashley gave him a jerky nod.

"Well, I guess that's off my play list now," Tesla quipped.

"I'd be very grateful," Ashley gritted out.

Helen strode to her daughter and enveloped her in a hug. Ashley wondered briefly why it felt so awkward to hug her mother when hugging her dad was the most natural thing in the world but she brushed it off. "I'm so sorry," Helen whispered.

Ashley held on as long as she could before breaking away. "Look, it's time for my…practice. I should go. Have to stick to the schedule and all." Ashley tried not to feel guilty at the hurt that flashed across her mother's face as she ran out of the room. But somehow she had just felt so confined when her mother hugged. That was weird since she didn't want her dad to let go when they were on the rooftop just minutes ago.

Helen turned to John with an icy glare. "My office. Now."

John resisted the urge to sigh or rub his temples. This talk didn't bode well for him. He could tell just from Helen's look.


End file.
